Railway-track clearer



(No-Model.)

L. LAROHABJ.

RAILWAY TRACK OLEARER.

No. 309,632. Patented Dec. 23, 1884.

INVENTOR:

BY w m WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS.

llnirnn Starts farmer @rricn,

lJEW'lS LARGHAR, OF MARBLE ROCK, ltHVA.

RAlLWAY=TRACK CLEARER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 309,632, December 188 Applicatirn tiled Aprilfld, 1884. (.\o model.)

To (all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Lnwiis Lanonrn, of Marble Rock, in the county of Floyd and State ot'lowa, have invented a new and Improved Railway-Track Clearer, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, effective, and durable device for clearing snow and ice from railway-tracks.

The invention consists in a stock having a pivotal and spring connection with the engine or car, and a foot-block carrying the clearer plates or cutters pivoted to the stock to swing forward and backward, said block being held in normal working position by springs at its opposite faces, and so as to yield to pass obstruetions.

The invention consists, also, in constructions and combinations of parts of the clearer to allow it to swing laterally to accommodate the cutters to the movements of the car and theline of the track, and also to permit the cutter-earrying foot to be held raised from. the track, all as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification,

in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure lis a perspective view of my i m proved track-clearer in position for use on one rail of the track. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, with the foot of the clearer in section; and Fig. 3 is afront elevation.

The letter A indicates the stock or upper portion of the clearer, to which the foot or block 13 is pivoted at a, so as to swing on the stock toward the front or rear. The stock A is pivoted at b in lugs or plates 0 c on the frame of the engine, or on a cross-bar, 0. at tached thereto of the locomotive engine or rail- 'ay-car frame, and so as to swing the stock A on the pivot b'from side to side to aeconnnodate the side swing of the engine or car on rough tracks or in rounding curves, the side motion of the stock being limited by lugs a a on bar 0. Opposite springs, D E, fixed at the front and rear faces of the stock A, bear upon corresponding faces of the foot-block B, to hold it in line-withthe stock, and with sufficient power to resist the strain on the clearer-plate F of block Bin removing the snow or ice from the top face of the rail 0, and to resist also the strain on the cutter-bar or groover G, which is fitted in the block l3, and acts along the inside of the rail 0, to remove the snow or ice packed on the rail and afford. a clear passage for-the flan of the car-w h eels. The tension of the springs D l is, however, so regulated that if either the plate 1* or cutter-bar G or the block 13 comes in contact'wit-h any unyielding substance or obstruction the block B will swing either l'niclnvard or forward on its pivot a, accoriflingly as the engine or car to which the clearer is attached in moving forward or backward, and thus avoid damage to the engine or car or to the clearer itself, and when the obstruction is passed the springs D E will promptly shift the block 13 to its up right working position. Q

As it is desirable at times to hold the block B raised out of cont act by its plate and bar F (r with the track, I. propose to cut a slot or mortise, ll, through the block, into which the spring '1) may pass when the block is swung upward on pivot (1, as in dotted lines in Fig. 2, said spring I) then acting against the walls of the slot 11 to hold the block in raised position, as will readily be understood, or, if desired, the block may be held up by a hook fixed to the car-body or truck-frame in any suitable manner for operation by the engineer.

I make the clearer-plate F in the formof a small curved mold-hoard plow, so that it shall. throw the snow and ice from the head of the rail entirely clear of the rail, and the plate F may be attached by ooltsf, or in any eonvei1- icnt manner to provide for its renewal and for adjustment vertically and laterally on block B as shall be required for its best action.

.sfhe cntterbar ti, here shown held to place in the block I} by the llat staple or clip 9 entering a notch of the cutter and driven into the block, may he held to the block in any apn'oved wa i )crmiltine'its adii'istinent for tak ing up the wear, and a renewal of the cutter when worn out.

If desired, springs l maybe fixed to hear at the side faces of the stock A, (see Fig. 3,) for holding it normally in a vertical position sidewise, but so as to yield or swing either way on pivot b, to accommodate the shoe B to the swing of the car or the line or curvature of the track.

At 7 is shown a staple or clip, which crosses clearer-plate or cutter-carrying foot, 13, pivthe slot or groove made in the block 13 to reoted to it to swing both forward and backl E" O 309,632

ceive the tongue of the stock A, said clip 71. Ward, and springs for holding the foot 13 norseri'ing' to strengthen bloclc 'B and also as a lnally and yieldingly in line with the stock 5 wear-plate, against which the narrow lower A, substantially as shown and described.

end of the spring D acts. 2. The combination, in a track-clearer, of It will be understood that one of the trackthe stock A, hung from the engine or car so suitably connected together to act upon both carrying the 'elearers or cutters, and of springs 10 rails of the track at once. for holding the ifoot normally and yieldingly I do not limit myself to the precise means in line with the stock A, sul'istantially as shown shown of connecting the clearer to the engine and described. or car, or to the particular form and connec- 3. The combination, with the stock and tion of the springs, as the details of construcpivoted foot 13, slotted at H, of the sprlng D, 15 tion may vary within the scope of my invenadapted to enter the slot for holding the foot biOnraised, substantially as herein shown and de- I-Iaving thus described my invention, I cl aim scribed. as new and desire to secure by Letters 1atenl;-

1. The combination, in a track-clearer, oi. \Vitnesses: the stock A, havinga pivotal and spring een- \Vupiyiinar l3. Cniurrnicri,

nection with the engine or car, and having a J. n MARTIN.

LE WIS L ARCH AR.

Clearer devices will be applied at eaeh'rail and as to swing laterally, of the pivoted foot B, 

